Sand, Sun, And A Grumpy Doctor
by JaneyKatherineHummingbird
Summary: Leonard has an encounter with a fascinating woman who turns out to be a famous actress. Years later, she says something in an interview that stuns Leonard. Will they be able to move past the obstacles in their way?
1. Chapter 1

Sand, Sun, and A Grumpy Doctor 1

're famous and just got asked whether you were ever in love. This should be good-wait wHAT? (Fem! Kirk/Bones)

"Please welcome our very special guest and star of the recent blockbuster hit _Starship_ , Jenna Kirk!"

The enthusiastic voice on the television startled the half dozing man from his slumber on the sofa. Rubbing his face blearily, he reached for the remote to turn off the television he wasn't really watching anyway.

His movements were arrested with the sight of the lovely blonde woman striding confidently on stage to join the talk show host. His jaw dropped. It was her. His mind finally connected the name with the star and he swallowed as the wave of memories crashed over him. She was just as beautiful as he remembered, if less bubbly than he'd known her. Time changed everyone, he reflected, even movie starlets. How many years had it been since he'd unknowingly encountered her leading to an ill-fated, but passionate romance?

"Oh, Jen," he sighed under his breath. "I'm glad you're happy."

Despite his better judgment, Leonard McCoy kept watching the interview, wanting to see Jen in her native habitat. He wondered if she was still dating that famous producer Spock she'd been rumored to be head over heels for a couple years ago, not that he cared or anything. She could do what she liked.

Jen answered the question's smoothly and graciously, charming the host and the audience with her easygoing humor. That was one quality public Jen and private Jen both had and had been the undoing of Leonard "Bones" McCoy.

He'd been sent on a forced vacation after he'd had a health scare brought on by the stress of working in the ER. Despite the sun and sand, he'd sat in the beach chair well covered with sunscreen, sun hat, and sunglasses sulking and grumbling under his breath about interfering head nurses and how it was all Christine's fault if he got skin cancer. His rather unjust musings were interrupted by a female voice from nearby.

"I've never seen anyone so unhappy to be relaxing on one of the nicest beaches in the world."

He looked up and squinted as a stunning blonde appeared in front of him, wearing a very floppy sun hat, expensive looking sunglasses and a breezy coverup over her swimsuit.

"I don't like to be idle," he grunted. "But they made me take a vacation because they thought I'd keel over. My old bones are much happier fixing people than lounging on a beach."

"Wow, that's a statement you don't hear very often," the woman commented, running her sandal clad foot through the sand with a delighted expression on her face.

"Prob'ly not," he admitted. "Most people actually WANT to come here. I'm wired differently."

"Workaholic?" She asked.

"You could say that," Leonard sighed, averting his eyes as she plopped her bag and towel down a few yards away and began shimmying out of her cover up. Oh, great. He strongly considered picking up and moving to another location as he caught a glimpse of hot pink and skin. He pulled his hat down lower and buried his face in a medical magazine to avoid temptation. Goodness knows he didn't need to get involved in some random flirtation or make himself look like a creep.

He smelled suntan lotion as a spray can hissed. Good, she had basic common sense. A lot of beachgoers were more obsessed with getting tan and didn't care about what UV rays really did.

"You wouldn't mind spraying my back, would you? I can never get enough there," the mysterious woman implored, shocking Leonard by the request.

"Umm, sure. That's uh...very trusting of you," he babbled, taking the can thrust into his hand.

"Oh, I pride myself on being a good judge of character," the blonde said, turning her back to him so he could apply the sunscreen. "You definitely aren't giving off creepy vibes; you just want peace and quiet. I promise I'll leave you to it, doctor."

He thoroughly coated her back and handed back the Can, face turning a bit red, but not from the sun.

"Thank you, kind stranger!" She said, bestowing another beautiful smile on him before waving and sauntering away.

"You're welcome, ma'am. Don't forget to reapply often!" He called after her, quickly returning to his reading. (Good night, she had LEGS!)

Fortunately, or unfortunately, that random encounter was not the only time Leonard met the blonde.

Two days later, he was swimming in the unbelievably beautiful water when she reappeared, a blur of blue and gold that shot by him and popped up beaming.

Startled, Len stared wildly before he remembered her.

"Your face is priceless!" She giggled. "I've never seen such a great bugged out expression. Your eyes look like they're about to pop out of their sockets!"

"I'm glad you're so amused," he spluttered, shaking water out of his eyes. Today, she had on what looked like a short sundress made for the water. It was light blue and unbelievably cute on her.

"Having fun?" He asked indulgently.

"You betcha, Doctor. I'm Jenna, by the way."

"Leonard McCoy," he responded. "Pleased to meet ya. Even an old grump like me had to admit this water is awfully fine."

"Old? You?" She said in a tone of disbelief, looking at him like he was the best thing since sliced bread. "Hardly! I find it difficult to believe someone hasn't snatched you up already."

He shrugged, trying to hide under the water as much as possible.

"Been there, done that. She took everything but my bones in the divorce. No desire to ruin anyone else's life."

This came out somewhat more bitterly than he'd intended, but Jocelyn had made no secret of the fact she considered her cheating on him was HIS own fault.

"I'm sorry to hear that, Leonard," she said. "Won't you let me be your friend, though? No lives need be ruined, I promised. What could it hurt?"

Well, he hadn't been able to resist her imploring look and had agreed, thus changing the course of that summer.

He snapped out of his daydreams as the host asked Jenna a question.

"In your new movie, your character has a very delightful banter-filled relationship with the chief engineer. Have you ever had a real life relationship like that?"

Jenna smiled thoughtfully.

"Oh, yes I have. It was the best one of my life. We knew each other so well, and would practically finish each other's sentences. He was one of the glass half empty type and I'm the opposite, so we balanced each other out. I don't think I'll ever had a love quite like I had with Bones."

Leonard's heart stopped. She'd basically name dropped him on national television. Guess she had been more affected than he thought.

"Why do you call him Bones, if I may ask? The host inquired, looking intrigued.

"Oh, it was a nickname I gave him when he was grumbling about having nothing But His bones," Jenna explained a touch nervously. "He pretended to be such a grouch, but really wasn't."

"Don't go blowin' my cover," he muttered, a smile tugging at his lips.

"What happened?" The host asked.

"Oh, you know, our career paths were on opposite sides of the country in addition to the fact that I kind of blew it by not being truthful about who I was right from the start." She looked right at the screen and pointed at the audience.

"Kids, take a lesson from me, if you fall for some nice person, honesty is a key part of a relationship. Leave the acting for drama class and the movie cameras. Hi, Bones, if you're out there. Hope life is treating you well!"

Leonard sighed longingly as the interview returned to questions about the _Starship_ movie. Jenna probably didn't even know about his relocation from Georgia to San Francisco. She was much closer now, but completely out of reach.


	2. Chapter 2

Chapter 2

Flashback

"So, got a new suit?" Leonard asked awkwardly as Jenna continued to do laps around him. (Jenna. Such a pretty name. It totally suited her and it was one he could actually remember.)

"I bring multiple swimsuits," she explained. "The pink number was my sunbathing one, this is my active swimming and feeling cute swim dress. It's practical, yet incredibly stylish."

"I can see that," he said, with an admiring glance. "What made you chase me down? Surely, you've got better company than this to hang out with."

"That's just not true, Bones," she demurred. "I told you I wanted to be your friend."

"Bones? Wherever did you get that moniker?" He asked in befuddlement.

"Oh, you made a face when I called you Leonard, so I thought you needed a nickname. Didn't you say you had nothing but your bones?"

The smirk in her merry eyes was quite obvious and he groaned inwardly at how quickly he was becoming charmed by this woman.

"Guess I did," he admitted.

If he'd only known just how far she'd worm her way into his heart, he might have been more cautious in agreeing to the friendship. He was a doctor, not a prophet, however and his vacation became much more bearable with her lively companionship. Turned out, Jenna had the villa closest to his, which made for convenient sightings and more conversations.

"So, Bones, what's your specialty?" she asked one day as they leisurely paddle-boarded around.

"Pediatrics," he answered.

"Really? You don't frighten all the kids away with that ferocious scowl?"

"No," he said, mildly offended. "Contrary to popular belief, I do know how to have a decent bedside manner. It's adults I can't stand."

"Hmmm," she said thoughtfully. "That makes sense, but I'm going to work on changing your mind. Some of us grown ups aren't too bad." She flashed him a gorgeous smile and he thought "Not too bad" was a gross understatement in her case. He still didn't know why someone like her would want to hang around him, of all people. Oh, well, it was kind of nice for once.

"What do you do for a living?" He asked her. She looked like the trust fund type, but he got the sense she wasn't: there was No entourage, no body guards, and no pretentiousness about her.

Jenna didn't answer for a minute and when she did it was somewhat vague: "Odd jobs. Trying to be an actress."

"Ah," he said. "That can be a hard gig to get into. Making any headway?"

"A little," she said, a tiny smile on her lips. "I know some people in the business so that's helped."

"Hope it works out for ya," he said encouragingly, though he inwardly shuddered at the thought of the Hollywood rat race. So many people ended up chewed up and spit out by it or turned into insufferable snobs by the constant attention and limelight.

"Speaking of working out," Jenna suddenly remarked. "You sure look like you do, doc." She looked meaningfully at his admittedly decently fit body and he tried not to blush again. He really wasn't used to getting attention from the females that annoy the crap out of him, since they were mostly mothers of his small patients.

There she went, getting him all flustered again.

"When I can," he shrugged.

Present

"What in the world was that, Jenna?"

Chris Pike intercepted his protege as she exited the studio upon the conclusion of the taping. She felt especially daring and a little bit lighter inside after finally admitting what her time with Bones had done to her.

"What was what?" She asked innocently.

He put his hands on his hips. "That man you talked about. You never mentioned a word about having a fling after you got back from the Caribbean."

"That's because it wasn't just a fling. I couldn't talk about it for so long because it hurt so much when he found out I wasn't straight with him and and ended things. Plus, you get annoyingly overprotective and I didn't want you threatening the poor guy."

"You took a huge risk! He might have been one of those stalker fanboys or just plain stalker. There's good reasons why I vet these people."

"Bones wasn't any of those things!" She protested. "He didn't know me from Adam and it was great! Besides, he was clearly raised to be a gentleman. Nothing untoward happened, I assure you. I CAN take care of myself, you know."

"Of course you can," he sighed. "But if he broke your heart..."

"It wasn't his fault," she defended. "I led him to believe I was a struggling, fledgling actress and he was very understanding, but he's a very private person and I should have known that my half truth would backfire."

Chris looked at her searchingly, then suddenly pulled her into a hug.

"So, you really loved the guy, huh?" He asked as he doled out the comfort he was so good at. Jenna trusted him implicitly, being a colleague of her late father and very good at helping her navigate the treacherous Hollywood world.

"Mmm-hmm," Jenna confirmed sadly. "Still do. Maybe I'll even tell you his real name if you promise not to interfere."

"You drive a hard bargain, Jen," he said, with a mock frown. "Not even a background check?"

"Nope. You always go overboard. I don't need to know if his great-great-uncle made moonshine or declared bankruptcy. It's a moot point anyway. I'll probably never see him again."

The melancholy tone in her voice was very genuine and Chris wished there was something he could do, But he knew all too well, from personal experience, time would be the only thing that could help her heal.


	3. Chapter 3

Chapter 3

Flashback

Leonard looked up when Jenna approached him from her side of the beach, flushing again, seeing her in the hot pink sunbathing bikini again.

"Need some sunscreen assistance?" He managed. (Was she trying to kill him?)

Jenna smiled brightly and plopped her bag beside the empty beach chair next to his.

"Sure, Bones. It's such glorious weather and I'm going to revel in it. Nice trunks, by the way."

They were a bright blue with various bones scattered over them. Leonard looked down and grinned. "Thanks. Gag gift from a colleague. Think it fits your nickname for me pretty well."

"It does!" She grinned.

He sighed as she handed over the bottle and turned around. She could probably convince him Black was green at the moment, captivated as he was. It was a bit annoying how he'd carefully protected his heart so well against invasion and here she was laying siege to it after only five days.

"You sure you aren't secretly a famous model?" He questioned, once he'd finished and she positioned herself in the other chair. "Because you'd put a lot of them to shame."

"You flatter me, Bones," she grinned. "I have done a couple small jobs when money got tight, but I actually think it's more stressful. So, Where are you from and what led you to becoming a doctor?"

"I'm from Georgia," he answered. "Kind of inherited my dad's passion for medicine. Never really wanted to do anything else. It can be stressful, though, which is why I was forced to actually use my vacation time. It's hard to tear myself away from the patients."

"Aww, that means you're a good guy, Bones. You care about people, even though you claim you don't. It's cute."

"They're ain't nothing cute about me," he grunted. "Just tryin' to earn a living and deal with all the crazy childhood ailments."

"Whatever you say. Anyway, isn't it beautiful: all this blue sky and sand and sun and water?

"Sure is. Even an old grump like me can admit that."

"What do you say to joining me for a late night swim?" She asked suddenly after a long, cozy silence, startling Leonard out of his doze. "The moon is almost full and it will be the perfect atmosphere. I have an infinity pool behind my cottage and it would be just the thing to watch the moonrise in."

"If you're trying to lure me to my doom, you're doin' an admirable job," He replied. "I hope you're not a serial killer. I don't really know that much about ya yet."

"You really are a skeptic, aren't you?" She exclaimed with a touch of amused exasperation. "But just to show you, I have no nefarious plans (that you won't like, that is), I will freely answer any questions you may have about me. You're right, I have not been very forthcoming so far. So, ask away."

She folded her hands on her lap and raised an eyebrow at him, evidently the signal for him to fire away. Over the course of the get-to-know-me session, he found out Jenna had lost her father when she was a baby and she had one older brother who'd married a pretty Italian and moved to her hometown. She was originally from Iowa and had moved to Los Angeles just a few years ago to pursue her new career. She loved dogs, but was horribly allergic to them and instead had a pet turtle named Nero. Her dream was to be the best actress she could and take roles that would inspire young girls to dream big.

Leonard was impressed and told her so.

"Does that mean you'll trust me and join me tonight?" She asked eagerly.

"Sure, I will," he replied, wondering if he'd live to regret it should they get carried away.

It was a beautiful night and the moon was gorgeous, but he couldn't take his eyes off of Jenna, who was so beautiful and alluring in the sparkling night. With the attraction sparking between them, It was inevitable that they ended up entwined in a kiss that neither would ever forget, Jenna's arms and legs wrapped completely around him in the water.

"You've bewitched me, Jenna," he breathed, forehead against hers. "But then that was probably your plan all along."

She laughed happily. "You're as perceptive as you are handsome, Bones. Told ya you'd have fun. Vacations aren't so bad now, are they?"

"Nope." He'd chuckled and kissed her again, admitting to himself he was more than a little in love already.

Present

On the way to work for his shift, Leonard tried not to dwell too much on that night, but he just couldn't completely escape from the memory of her smile. Seeing her on the Talk show had seemingly opened Pandora's box to all the moments he'd tried so hard to bury.

Moving to San Francisco had been great for his career, but he'd occasionally thought how interesting it was he'd ended up in the same state she was. Not that he had any intention of going to L.A. The horrors!

He was glad none of his co-workers here knew about his thing with the starlet, because judging by what he'd heard from a lot of very excited snatches of conversation, iStarship/i was a much anticipated movie and Jenna's name was being discussed. Well, she'd certainly made it big, all right.

His day was busy enough with the influx of "boo boos," ear infections, coughs, and more serious illnesses and he didn't have time to think until the end of the shift. As he was working in his office, his good friend and mentor Phil Boyce popped in.

"You got a minute, Len?" He asked.

"For you? Of course," Leonard answered immediately. Phil was the only person he could stand to be bothered by in general, mostly because he never did it without good reason.

"Dr. Mitchell Larson is speaking at a conference in L.A. next week. Wondered if you'd like to make a weekend of it? I have a friend with connections that got tickets to the premiere of that space movie the day before. What do you say?"

"I hate space and L.A," Leonard grunted. "You know that."

"You hate everything, McCoy," Boyce sighed. "But, you've been wanting to see Larson for a couple years now. I've heard a lot of great things about this new movie and when Chris offered me tickets I couldn't say no. C'mon, what do you have to lose?"

"My mind," Leonard muttered. Venturing into Jenna's world terrified him, much as he secretly perked up at the chance to catch even a glimpse of her. He couldn't tell that to Phil, though, or the man would demand the whole story and his secret would be out.

"Ugh," he said at last after checking his schedule. "I have no legitimate reason to say no, unfortunately. Guess I'll go. You'd better not abandon me among all the high and mighty Hollywood folks, though. They'd have me for lunch."

Phil snorted and shook his head in amusement.

"That's the spirit, McCoy. I promise I won't let you be devoured by the terrifying masses. I think you'll have fun."

He'd have fun at the conference, at least, Leonard consoled himself. Just the thought of watching a two hour movie featuring Jenna and then possibly seeing her in person was enough to make him break out in a cold sweat.

He hadn't yet been able to watch her in anything since they ended communications. It was just too painful.


	4. Chapter 4

Chapter 4

Jenna ended up spending the rest of her vacation hanging out with Bones exclusively, reveling in his southern charm and grumpy humor. She found occasion to tease him about having amazing hands, which made him blush and stammer adorably. Occasionally, her conscience reproached her for not being forthcoming with the truth, but she kept ignoring it because she was so caught up in the thrill of being liked as a regular person. Bones's tender ministrations were not a byproduct of her fame or her name, but simply because he was genuinely taken by her. All good things must end, however, and soon there was only one day left before he had to leave. If Jenna was excessively clingy, well, Bones wasn't bothered by it.

"It's been fun, Jenna," he admitted as they watched the sun set over the beach together. "You've made this vacation downright bearable."

Jenna snorted at his reluctant admittance, but leaned against him and admired the fiery orange red and purple on the horizon.

"Thank you, Bones," she said softly. "I'm glad I could help you rediscover the joys of relaxing. It isn't all that bad, now, is it?"

"I guess not," he said with a wry grin. "But too much of this would get me spoiled rotten. I think I'm ready to head back to Georgia and work world now. I'm not gonna forget you, though."

"Ugh. I hate saying good-bye," Jenna sighed. "I wish I could steal you and take you with me to California."

Bones chuckled beside her.

"You'd probably be wantin to ship me right back pretty soon. I can be an ornery bastard when I get in a mood. You haven't seen one yet."

"You mean this is your GOOD mood?" She exclaimed, eyes widening in mock surprise.

"Brat." He muttered, leaning in to kiss her again. "You can always e-mail me. I use it far more than texting."

"Yeah," she sighed. "It's not the same as being in your presence."

"Skype, then," he suggested. "I do know how to use it, much to the shock of my colleagues who are convinced I live in the dark ages. Just because I don't have time to do social media, doesn't mean I'm a caveman."

"You certainly aren't, Bones," she assured him.

Their parting that day was as long and drawn out as they could make it and Jenna nearly was late getting to the airport for the return flight. Satisfied with the contact information they'd exchanged, she'd returned to California and resumed her life, only marred by the slight unease of having left out a very important fact about herself.

The first couple of months back, she was busy filming for her next movie and Communicating back and forth with Bones secretly. (Pike didn't need to know, did he? He was so overprotective sometimes).

She'd fallen into a sea of complacency about her hidden relationship, when her lie came back to bite her, two months after she'd returned.

Jenna was taken aback when Bones answered her looking downright grim.

"Is this a bad time, Bones?" She blurted, very concerned. The only time she'd seen that look on his face was after he'd lost a young patient. "I can call back later," she offered.

Bones shook his head, now looking downright sad.

"No need for that," he responded shortly. "What I have to say can't wait. I just found out you weren't telling me the truth, after all."

Her mouth opened and closed like a fish while she tried to figure out what to say.

"What did I lie about?" She asked, even though she already knew, dread beginning to seep through her.

He gave a look that said "don't play dumb with me."

"Being a struggling wanna be actress, when you're actually a star. A very big star, from what I saw online."

"Why did you decide to suddenly google me if you had no clue?" She asked a bit defensively.

"Because my persistent nurse kept begging to know who was making me happy and using her evil powers, got me to mention your name. Her eyes bugged out of her head and she told me I was dating a huge Hollywood star, so I looked you up. Struggling, my ass. Why did you do it?"

"Because I liked being just Jenna with you," she confessed. "I was going to come clean, but I kept worrying that you would start walking on eggshells around me or act all star struck."

When she said it out loud, it sounded absurd and Bones's face showed he thought so, too.

"Number one, I ain't the type to get star struck. Number two, I don't follow Hollywood, so your name didn't ring a bell anyway. Maybe it would have changed the way I acted, but not by much. The lying was far worse. I trusted you, Jenna."

Shame overtook Jenna and she could only mumble a contrite "I'm sorry, Bones. You're right. I should have been real with you. Does this mean you don't want to talk anymore?"

He rubbed his hand across his face and looked down, away from her gaze.

"I don't know how I can," he admitted. "Jocelyn played me for a fool and this...dishonesty is just too much to deal with after that."

Tears filled Jenna's eyes at these words and she remembered how he'd told her about his trust issues after his divorce. She'd gone and given him more!

"I understand, Bones," she said, when the awkward silence became unbearable. "But before you say goodbye, know that I wasn't lying about loving you."

He visibly winced, like she'd twisted an invisible knife in his chest.

"You're a great gal, Jen," he managed. "You deserve better than me, anyway. Can you imagine the crazy stories if they saw us together?"

"I think you're selling yourself short, Bones," she told him sadly. "Hopefully someone will change your mind someday. Take care."

"You too, Jen." He said quietly and ended the call. Just like that, it was all over except the tears and self recrimination.

Present

Jenna twirled in the gorgeous gown she was wearing to the iStarship/i premiere. For once, she thought she would actually make it through the whole evening without wanting to die because this dress was looser and more comfortable than what she was used to.

"Looking fabulous, Jen," her mentor slash manager commented when she settled into the limo beside him.

"Thanks, Chris," she replied. "Janice did a fabulous job as usual. You're looking awfully pleased today. Normally you're all stress city until we get through the red carpet stuff."

"Phil finally decided to tear himself away from doctoring to show up tonight," Pike said. "I've offered him tickets countless times before and he's always had a reason to turn me down. This time, he finally accepted!"

"Oh, good. Now you'll be less touchy with the press," Jenna answered pertly. She'd more than once had to smooth things over, which was hilarious because it was his job to be the go between.

Chris just rolled his eyes at her and started going over the agenda for the evening.

Jenna endured the the endless line of flashing cameras and thronging crowds as she made her way down the red carpet with her co Stars. It was an annoyance, but this time she was really enjoying herself, smiling for the cameras, joking with Nyota and Scotty and preening a bit.

As they neared the end, Chris suddenly broke away and rushed over to greet his friend across the rope holding the crowd back. Jenna smiled watching the two men interact and then her smile froze on her face when Phil pulled another man forward to introduce him to Chris and she recognized Leonard McCoy.

"It can't be," she whispered.


	5. Chapter 5

Leonard stiffly followed Phil through the throng of people gathered for the _Starship_ premiere. He was on edge being among so many high society, richly dressed folks and annoyed at having to be dressed up himself. Then there was the little problem of what to do if he saw Jenna. Surely he could be cool about it. After all, it had been five years ago.

Her comments on the Talk show continued to niggle at him, though. She wasn't really over him, it seemed, and he was torn between feeling bad about it and wanting to take her in his arms again. He hadn't really tried to date since he'd ended things, being crushed at being fooled twice.

His attempts to stay happily in the background were thwarted when Phil caught sight of his friend and dragged Leonard foreword so he could introduce them.

"Chris, good to see you, man! How's it going in the Hollywood meatgrinder?"

"Oh, not too bad. It's always a whirlwind around premiere times. How've you been, you old sawbones?"

Phil beamed and embraced his friend.

"Fabulous! I brought along my bright young colleague here to..."

Len didn't hear anything else Phil said, because he saw Jenna and the rest of the world faded away.

She was absolutely stunning in a flowing pink empire waist gown that swished around her as she walked, grinning and laughing at something one of her co stars said. Even after five years, he was still plainly affected by her, given his pounding heart and ragged breaths. Before he could move or make an escape attempt, she'd turned and looked right at him.

So much for being over her and given the way she'd gone pale, probably wasn't as indifferent as he'd hoped. In fact, she was deliberately heading their way.

"Len!" Phil poked him. "What's your deal? You look like you've seen a ghost!"

He dragged his eyes back to his friend and a now suspicious looking Chris Pike with an apology.

"Um...Sorry," he managed. "Thought I saw someone I recognized."

His attempt to backpedal was blown when Jenna cried "Bones!" as she reached them. Pike out his hands on his hips and stared at them searchingly.

"Hey, Jen," he said softly. "Fancy meeting you here."

The air practically crackled with the unspoken communication and tension going on.

Phil cleared his throat.

"Is there something we should know about, Len?"

"Exactly what I was going to ask you, Jen," added Pike, giving her a stern look.

"We...uh...met on vacation a few years ago," Jen said, not looking away from Leonard, who was frozen in place from the spell of her familiar blue eyes. He'd forgotten just how gorgeous they were.

"Yeah," Leonard corroborated. "I wasn't too happy with life then and would have grumped the whole vacation away if it wasn't for her."

"So YOU'RE the one," Pike said, steely eyes boring right through Leonard, who was starting to sweat in his itchy suit from the scrutiny. Who knew what Jenna had told the man?

"Chris...I told you it wasn't his fault," she whispered in her companion's ear. "Don't get mean with him."

"This is rather a large coincidence, though," Chris said out loud. "Did you beg Phil to bring you along?"

"No!" Phil jumped in quickly. "I had to bribe him to come with me with a promise of a medical conference in LA tomorrow. He was rather nervous about the whole thing, but I thought it was because he hated space."

More awkward silence and glaring happened before Jenna said firmly, "Please Back Off, Chris. Bones has never once lied to me. Now is not the time to go all bull dog on him."

"I'll just go wait in our seats while you two catch up," Leonard quickly put in, anxious to smooth things over. This Pike character clearly knew something about their break up and didn't think much of him.

"Don't go, Bones," She pleaded, "I want to talk to you. It's been way too long."

"My presence here is clearly a problem," he said, indicating the thunderous expression on her manager's face. "I'll let those two hash it out before I cause a ruckus. Good to see you again, Jen," he added, "You look stunning as usual."

Frustrated at Chris's actions, Jenna watched as Leonard disappeared into the crowd. She rounded on him, ready to express her great displeasure, but Phil Boyce got the words out first.

"What the heck, Chris?" He said rather angrily. "Do you know the trouble it took just to get him to come out of his shell and have some fun?"

"He hurt Jenna," Chris declared stubbornly. "She doesn't need any of their baggage brought up right now. She was a wreck for months because of him."

"And I told you it was my own fault!" Jenna protested. "He ended things because I lied to him, that's why! Plus, we were on opposite sides of the country at the time and it just didn't work out. He didn't set purposely hurt me in any way."

"You never told me that part," Chris sighed, expression relaxing a tiny fraction. Phil was still eying his friend with disappointment.

"I was just really mad at myself and ashamed of what I'd done. He was one of the best things to ever happen to me, believe it or not. Of course I was sad when we broke up." She turned to Phil and offered a hand graciously.

"Dr. Boyce, I'm glad you could come. Has Dr. McCoy been in San Fran long?"

"A couple years," the silver-haired man responded. "I really had no idea about you two. He doesn't date really at all since the divorce so it was very much a surprise to hear he'd dated you."

"I'm afraid I might have added to his issues with what I did, but I would be so happy to catch up with him."

Jenna looked hopefully at the doctor as she spoke, utterly ignoring Chris's sigh.

Phil grinned. "I'd be more than happy to help you with that."

Leonard was waiting in the darkened theatre when Phil returned, looking quite satisfied.

"Sorry about that," he said. "Chris gets ridiculously over protective sometimes. Jenna was royally telling him off when I left them. It was great. By the way, she wanted you to have this."

He handed over a slip of paper upon which was written a phone number.

"She said she wants you to text her after the movie and tell her what you thought."

Phil winked at him and Leonard gaped with surprise, face turning red. He certainly hadn't expected Jenna to acknowledge his presence, let alone speak to him. Thankfully the movie started before he could begin overthinking things.


	6. Chapter 6

Jenna made it through the rest of the festivities with her head held high and a bright smile in place, though she refused to even speak to Chris. Why did he have to be so hostile to poor Bones? Sometimes he needed clear reminders that he wasn't her dad and Jenna was an adult.

She smiled thinking about how good Bones looked after five years. He had a couple grey hairs, but they only added to his appeal. The way he filled out that suit was mind-boggling and very distracting.

"Who was that hunk you were talking to, Jen?" Her friend and co star Gaila asked eagerly.

"You'll have to be more specific, Gaila," she whispered. "I've talked to a lot of good looking guys today."

"Don't be coy with me, girl, I'm talking about the tall, broad-shouldered guy Chris was glaring at. If Christopher "unflappable" Pike was openly glaring, there was obviously some mischief going on. I demand to know what it was!"

"It's too long to get into right now. I'll tell you later, I promise," Jenna said, squeezing her friend's hand.

At the end of the movie, she felt her phone buzz from where it was tucked into her silver clutch.

Hoping it was Bones, she stealthily checked it and sure enough she had a text.

 _That was incredible. Haven't enjoyed a movie so much in a long time. You are incredibly talented and I see why you're such a star. Great job blowing me away again. Leonard._

Jenna smiled and wondered at him using the word "again." Must mean she had done it before and he really hadn't blocked out the memories of their blissful vacation. She instantly saved his number to her contacts before she had to go back out and be interviewed. If there was a way for her to see him again before he left, she would find it, nosy manager be damned.

She ended up telling the whole story to Gaila and Nyota Uhura at the after party, which she planned to leave as soon as it was polite. They were both amazed and cautious.

"Be careful, honey," Nyota said. "It's been five years. Do you really want to open that can of worms again? What if he's moved on?"

"I don't think he has," Jenna said. "I know I haven't. But even if he did, I would still want to catch up with him. He's such a great guy, but he refuses to see it."

"Well, I think it's a sign that fate meant you to be together!" Piped Up Gaila. "He shows up at something like this, five years later, I believe the universe is giving you a second chance. You said he's even moved out here! Serendipitous!"

Jenna smiled at her friend's positive thinking.

"I think we're both in better places emotionally then we were five years ago," she confided. "I'm not going to mess things up again."

She sent Leonard a return text during the ride home.

 _Thanks, Bones! So glad you liked it! Space isn't THAT bad, now, is it?_

 _I won't go that far_ he replied. _But ya'll made it very interesting. I wish I had that kind of medical technology now. Would really save a lot of trouble._

 _How long will you be in town?_ she asked. _Could we meet up for coffee somewhere? I want to talk to you without Chris hovering and being Big Scary Dad Figure._

 _We'll be here until Sunday evening. Phil wants to catch up with Chris Sunday mid morning and you better believe I'm not a part of that. There's a little cafe right in the hotel so we could hang out while our esteemed elders are chewing the fat._

Jenna giggled at his reply. That sounded like the Bones she'd known and loved.

 _I like that plan. Text me when you find out what time they're meeting and I'll be there._

 _Will do. Good night, Jen._

 _Night, Bones._

Leonard felt like a devious trickster for plotting such a scheme, but desperate times called for desperate measures.

He got ready for bed and plugged his phone in, mind whirling from what had transpired. Jenna had defended him to the guy she trusted most! He couldn't deny, that had certainly shocked and thrilled him. He'd been terrified at catching a cold glance from her, or being utterly ignored, but evidently she didn't resent him for what he'd done.

Laying in the darkness, his brain whirled with the the turn in events and he thought he must be crazy for agreeing to see her again, but he had to know if she meant what she'd said on the TV interview.


	7. Chapter 7

Jenna spent a quiet Saturday, perusing scripts, lounging around, and visiting with Gaila and Nyota, as well as her mother and brother. She satisfied her friend's curiosity about Bones, but wasn't prepared when her mom brought up the subject.

"So, Jenna. I heard something VERY interesting on your Good Morning America visit."

Jenna froze, realizing she'd failed to take her family's watching into account when she'd blurted out her secret on air.

"What was that?" She asked as casually as she could, smearing syrup over her waffle.

Winona gave her the squinty eye.

"Oh, you know, the part you just casually mentioned having a fling with some guy on vacation and that you'd fallen in love," she countered. Sam's eyes went wide and he turned a far too smug grin on his sister.

"Yes, Yes, Jen. Tell us all about it. Who has captured your heart, my dear sister, and why have you not informed us?"

Jenna sighed heavily. She was in for it now. Facing Chris didn't sound so bad now that her piranha-like brother was on the trail.

"I didn't tell you for many reasons, Sam." She replied. "Mostly because It hurt too much to talk about and I didn't want violence ensuing toward an innocent man who had every right to end things, given that I'd kept certain details from him."

She looked down at her plate, hearing her mother sigh.

"So what happened, dear?" She asked in a gentler tone.

"I was on vacation and met this hot grumpy guy on the beach," she summarized. "We talked, we flirted, we made out, I fell hard, but I led him to believe I was a struggling wanna be instead of an established actress. After we'd been e-mailing back and forth a couple months, he figured it out and called me on it. I don't think it would have upset him so much if he hadn't been lied to by his ex. He just couldn't take that again, so he ended things. Like I said, I should have known better, but that doesn't change how I feel about him."

"You sure he wasn't just freaked out by your success?" Sam asked. "Some losers can't take the woman making more than they do."

Jenna shook her head decidedly.

"The public spotlight might have freaked him out a bit, being a very private guy, but there was no jealousy about Bones. He's a very good doctor who doesn't waste time worrying about what other people make."

"And you really still think about him five years later?" Winona asked in some disbelief.

"Yeah," Jenna admitted. "Why do you think I haven't had a serious relationship since him?"

"Oh." Was the response. Sam and Winona exchanged significant looks, but didn't say much else on the matter and Jenna was relieved. Chris at least hadn't tattled about last night to them.

She sent Bones a text last night asking him how the conference was and if he'd found out what time Phil was meeting Chris.

 _It wasn't too bad. Might've learned a thing or two. Phil says 11 am and that he'll keep Chris distracted as long as necessary. I think he likes you._

Jenna giggled. Dr. Boyce seemed like a very fun loving, perceptive individual and she was grateful for his aiding and abetting.

 _Awww. I owe him big time for dragging you up here. Can't wait to see you tomorrow!_

 _Same. See ya then._

The next day, she disguised herself in a floppy hat and huge sunglasses and drove to the hotel where Bones and Boyce were staying. Sure enough, when she sauntered into the coffee shop, there he was in the corner, waiting for her with a steaming cup of caffeine. Pulling off the sunglasses, she smiled brightly at him and took the chair opposite his.

"Hey, Bones," She said. Oh, Bones was looking FINE in a polo shirt of all things. Very unusual for him, but it showed off those great arms.

He looked up at her and looked appropriately dazed for a moment. (She May or may not have dressed to extra cute).

"Hey, Jen. I trust you didn't get in any trouble about this?"

"In the clear, Bones!" She confirmed.

"Now, tell me all about what you've been doing the last five years and what led you to San Fran. Before, you seemed really attached to staying in Atlanta."

"Yeah," He said. "The Ex and her new husband were making it an unbearable situation, much as I loved my job there. You wouldn't believe the ways she has of continuing to make my life miserable. I took out a restraining order even."

Jenna cringed. The poor man. Sounded like he'd really been put through the wringer by this crazy woman.

"She's left you alone since then?" She asked, perusing the menu half heartedly.

"Yes, Thank heaven." He shuddered involuntarily.

"So how are you liking San Fran?" She followed up.

"It's a gorgeous city...if a little off the wall in some places. Now that I know it better, I've found new hang outs and connections. It's starting to feel like home finally."

"I'm glad to hear it, Bones." She told him.

"I told you California isn't THAT bad."

"I guess not," he admitted. "It's got You in it, after all."

This compliment made Jenna flush with the quiet honesty. That was how Bones worked: when he said something sweet it was always sincere. He did not waste time with flattery.

"Thanks, Bones," she replied, smile still playing at the corners of her mouth. "I'm trying to actually be the person you thought I was five years ago—up front about who I am."

"I'm glad for you, Jenna, but I should never have been that hard on you about it. I was very gun shy at the time and not able to handle it back then. I'm sorry for not giving you a chance."

Slowly but steadily, Jenna moved her hand forward until it rested on top of his. He didn't pull away, but held her gaze with his hazel one.

"I know this may sound crazy after five years," she began, heart starting to pound as she approached the important question, "But would you like to take that chance now?"

"So you meant what you said in that interview a few weeks back?" He asked in return, eyes boring into her.

Jenna flushed again and nodded. "If it's the one where I admitted I'm still in love with you, then yes. I didn't think you'd seen that."

"Oh, I sure did," Bones said with a certain tone and a smirk that made her shiver with delight and smile back just as meaningfully.

"I don't know this would work: me there, you here, and nosy reporters just itching to make it a story, but I sure as heck want to try," he went on, lacing their fingers together. "I couldn't forget you, Jenna Kirk, no matter what I did."


	8. Chapter 8

Phil Boyce sat opposite his old friend Chris Pike in the booth of the higher end diner they had met in. It hadn't started off very cordial, given how Phil had had to read his friend the riot act over his treatment of Leonard, but once they'd got that out of the way, talk had turned to reminiscing and catching up, with much careful avoidance of the awkward topic until Chris admitted Jenna had been avoiding him ever since Friday night.

"Can't say as I blame her," Phil said bluntly. "What you did was not in the bounds of your duties, friend of the family or not."

"You didn't see her after the break up, Phil," Chris weakly defended. "She was a wreck."

"Leonard was too, in his own way," Phil sighed. "He never told me much, but putting the pieces together, he acted even more reclusive during that same time. Did you see the way her eyes lit up at the sight of him? Doesn't look like his presence really disturbed her at all."

"No, it sure didn't," Chris admitted, running a hand through his wavy gray locks. "And That freaked me out. Phil, I'm terrified. I don't want her getting hurt again and worse—it happening publicly, if the media would get word of them."

"How do you know he's going to hurt her?" Phil asked bluntly. "People grow over time. I can tell you honestly, I think Len's really ready to try again. I know, you love her like she's your own daughter, but every dad has to learn to let go eventually. Jenna's an adult and you've got to let her make her own choices. Stop projecting your own bad luck in the romance area on her."

Chris glared for a brief moment, but the truth of what Phil was saying finally sank in, and he deflated.

"Sometimes I really hate you, Phil," he grunted. "You know me too well. I suppose I owe her an apology."

"And Leonard, too," Phil reminded him. "Better yet, you should come down to San Fran sometime and attempt to get to know the man. You'd like him if you'd just give him a chance."

"I'll think about it," was all Chris said, but inside he knew he would probably end up doing just that. First off, he needed to talk to Jenna.

Jenna, meanwhile, was giggling over Bones's funny anecdotes in between the shameless "eye-sexing", as Gaila would put it. The chemistry they'd had was definitely still there after five years and Jenna was had no intention of resisting it. She realized just why she hadn't had any other serious boyfriends since Bones—no one could measure up to him.

"So, how do you handle all this fame and celebrity?" He asked suddenly. "It must get old not being able to go out for a drink without paparazzi tracking your every move."

"Yeah, but I knew what I was signing up for when I chose this life," Jenna said frankly. "I have strong support from my family and friends that keeps me grounded and sane; also, a very good security system. I don't do stupid stuff to give the tabloids any fodder. Goodness knows they love to spread enough garbage as it is."

"I bet your guard dog manager helps scare them away too," Leonard commented. "He looked ready to damn me to the fiery pits of hell last night."

Jenna groaned and laid her head on the table for a minute, shaking her head and trying not to laugh.

"That's Chris for you. He's normally not that bad. Once he realizes I'm not backing down on us, he'll get used to it."

"If you say so," Bones said skeptically.

Jenna couldn't blame him. Chris had been ridiculous. He'd just have to get used to her and Bones being an item. There was no way around it.

"I told my mom about you," she said finally.

Bones's awesome eyebrows went up.

"Oh? What did she say?"

"She hopes she'll get to meet you sometime. Her only concern is how you'd handle the publicity if we became a couple and it went public."

"Welp, that's a good point. I'd just have to rely on your expertise and soothing company to keep me sane. But I don't know how that would all work anyway—seeing each other with our distance and schedules."

"Now, now, Bones," She chided. "Where there's a will there's a way! You're not nearly as far away as you were. We'll figure this out."

"I sure hope so, because we have a lot of catching up to do."

He said this with just the barest hint of suggestion in it along with an eyebrow wiggle and Jenna was reminded of those lazy days on the beach when he'd whisper stuff that would make her blush and she'd respond by kissing him in random places which would have him going red in turn. Ah, those were the days.

Bones asked her about what she'd been up to in the last five years and she talked about her recent projects and passions. Time went quickly as they chatted, only interrupted by the buzz of Bones's phone.

"That's Phil," he announced, after a quick glance. "He says they're on their way back here. Chris picked him up. You'd better scram if you want to avoid another scene."

Jenna sighed, beginning to gather her things. She didn't want to go, but Bones needed to get ready to go home and she really didn't need another Chris hissy fit right now.

For a few moments, they just stood and stared at each other, reluctant to say good bye.

Finally Jenna stepped forward and embraced Bones, resting her head in the exact spot she used to do when they cuddled on the beach.

"Take care, Bones," She said, thrilling that he still smelled the same. "I'll be in touch."

"You too, Jen," he said, hugging her back. "So Glad I listened to Phil instead of being a stubborn mule. May have to come back again. You're just too pretty and charming to stay away from."

"I'll be eagerly anticipating such a day," Jenna whispered, reluctantly letting go of him and donning her hat and sunglasses again. "G'Bye!"

With a wave, she left the restaurant and Leonard heaved a sigh and headed back upstairs. Yep, he could not help but be head over heels for that woman, that much was sure.


	9. Chapter 9

Chapter 9

Though sad her time with Bones was shorter than she'd like, Jenna was otherwise blissfully happy he'd forgiven her and agreed to give her another chance. She was the talk of Hollywood as she glowed and chatted and giggled through the rest of the press tour and premieres. People noticed the unusual amount of pep in her life and there was of course, some ridiculous speculation, but Jenna could care less. Even with her grueling travel schedule, she managed to get in some Skype calls with Bones, which were a great treat for her.

Not until the plane ride home from London did she get a chance to patch things up with Chris. She made a point of sitting next to him to drop the hint that she wanted to talk. Chris took it.

"Jen, I need to apologize. I was far too harsh on McCoy and jumped to erroneous conclusions."

"Ya think?" She said snarkily.

He sighed. "Yes. I'm sorry. I was out of line. I didn't give the man a fair chance and I've realized I was a jerk. Forgive me?"

"Of course," Jenna assented, knowing he meant it, "but you're gonna have to apologize to Bones himself. I still think you'd really like him if you got to know him. He's coming back to visit next month so that will be the perfect opportunity for you to atone for your mistreatment of him."

Chris's eyebrow flew up.

"A visit? Does that mean you two are rekindling things?"

"Yeah," She said. "Which makes it even more important that the two of you get along. He's terrified of you, and I haven't been able to persuade him you're really a nice guy because of the bad first impression."

Chris winced a bit. "Yeah, I need to work on that. You've been communicating with McCoy?"

"Indeed. We Skype almost every day. Bones tells me about his day, I tell him about mine. He's amazing, Chris. You'll see."

She smiled in an angelic fashion and Chris realized that Jenna Kirk was in deeper than he'd expected.

His chance to meet Leonard again Came the weekend after they'd finished the premiere craziness and the doctor drove down to see Jenna again.

She used it as an opportunity to introduce him to her entire immediate family and friends, Chris included.

Winona seemed charmed. Sam, though rather unimpressed at first, soon warmed to the doctor and made conversation with him about their careers. Len, as liked to be called, stayed wary around Chris most of the afternoon until finally Chris decided he couldn't put off the conversation any longer.

He managed to get him away from the group on pretense of getting a drink and when they'd made it to Jenna's kitchen, took a deep breath and brought up the elephant in the room.

"Okay, McCoy, I have a few things to say to you. Please hear me out.

"I'm listening," McCoy said warily.

"I was a jackass to you at the premiere and there was no excuse for my actions," he bluntly, but sincerely told the doctor. "I have an unfortunate tendency to shoot my mouth off without knowing all the facts. Between Phil, Jenna, and observing you today, I now realize I was a fool. You two are clearly head over heels for each other and as someone who's seen people date Jenna for all the wrong reasons, I must say this is a decided improvement. On the other hand, if this gets serious and the public finds out, are you ready to deal with that?"

"I'm not going to leave her again, if that's what you're askin," McCoy said. "I really don't know how to predict what it'll be like, to be honest. We haven't talked much about that, given we're still catching up on five years of our lives."

He looked out the window where a beautifully landscaped backyard and pool could be seen.

"I'm still almost six hours away, so these trips are unfortunately likely to be few and far between for awhile. I'll talk to her about it and that genius brain can start working on a plan. I have a feeling she's become adept at dealing with nosy reporters."

"She has," Chris confirmed. "And it's pretty great to watch. Just as a caution, I hope you two can think of a solution to the six hour drive between you before you get in too deep."

"Me too," Len shook his head in agreement. "I'm really happy where I am, but I couldn't ask her to move either. It's...a dilemma, all right. We'll figure it out when the time comes."

Chris still had concerns about that, but he kept them to himself. Jenna and Leonard would have to work through those obstacles on their own. He couldn't interfere anymore.

"Do you love her?" He asked bluntly, surprising Leonard who nearly dropped the the cans of soda he was removing from the refrigerator.

"Yes, I do." He replied simply, looking directly at Chris.

"That's good," He said, clapping the man on the shoulder in a way that indicated approval. No one would ever be good enough for Jenna in his mind, but Leonard McCoy was by far the closest to it.

"Don't wait too long to fill her in on that," he said with a smile.

Leonard nodded.

"What? No shovel talk?" He asked, eyebrow going up. He'd been bracing for all kinds of threats and dire promises of what would be done to him.

"I think that would be overkill right now," Chris said. "You've seen how I get when I THINK she's been hurt. That's but a drop in the bucket compared to when she IS hurt, that's all I'm going to say for now."

"Understood," Leonard said respectfully.

The two men shook hands and returned to the living room, Jenna looking very relieved at their return. Chris hasn't devoured poor Bones, thankfully.


	10. Chapter 10

Jenna and Leonard managed to keep their long distance romance a secret for a couple more months, but finally the news got out.

"Take a look at this," Chris said grimly one day as he plopped a magazine on the table in front of Jenna.

The cover features a paparazzi pic of her and Bones leaving a restaurant holding hands with a headline that screamed "NEW ROMANCE FOR JENNA KIRK? Star seen with mystery hunk outside cafe last Saturday."

"Here it goes," Jenna sighed. "It was bound to get out eventually. I'd better call Bones and warn him."

She squinted at the picture, examining it critically.

"Ugh, my hair looks awful. Did they have to use that photo for the cover?"

"Priorities, Jen," Chris reminded her with a chuckle. "You'd better carry a brush with you from now on."

Jenna laughed. "You're ridiculous, but I really should. Never know when you need to look extra glam."

Leonard didn't see Jenna's text for several hours, being swamped at work, but as soon as he was able he called her back.

"Jen, you Alright?" He asked as soon as she picked up.

"Yes, Bones. Just trying to figure out how to approach this. Chris's phone has been ringing off the hook with people trying to get the scoop on us. Apparently, they got a picture of us holding hands and the tabloids are going nuts. We're going to have to make a statement soon and I need to know how much to say about you."

"That's a good question."

Bones went silent for a minute and she let him think. He was going to have his entire backstory dredged up and examined by the gossip happy media and she wasn't going to reveal one iota more than he was comfortable with.

"Not my name, but you can mention I'm a super hot, successful doctor you met and swept you off your feet one blissful summer."

Jenna laughed, imagining his eyes twinkling with mischief at her.

"That's awfully close to the truth, though, Bones."

"If we want to get technical, it was you who did the sweeping," he added. "I was all set to spend my time being a grumpy-ass hermit and then you just wouldn't let me be."

"I couldn't rest until I'd turn that frown upside down," Jenna admitted cheerfully. "Plus, It was super funny to see you get so flustered when I'd wear my pink suit. I remember the first day: your eyes bugged out and you went all red and buried your face in your magazine. It was so cute."

"Now, now, Jen. Don't get me started thinking about how stunningly sexy you are. I'm having guests over tonight." His voice was a bit strangled and she felt a little smug, but decided to go easy on him.

"Okay, Okay. No phone sex," she conceded, with a mischievous giggle. "So In the statement you're okay that I tell them I'm dating a nice doctor and we're quite happy and please respect our privacy?"

"Sounds great, Jen. Thanks for letting me know. I'd better get braced for a fuss. If anyone here recognizes me, there's going to be a lot of questioning going on."

"Just ignore them," she said. "You don't have to say anything. The hospital probably has PR people to help."

"Yeah, they do. Hope I won't have to get them involved. Don't want to cause a spectacle where I'm just trying to do my job."

"You'll do great, Bones. Remember, I love you and don't let them get under their skin. They love to provoke reactions."

"Thanks for the tip and advice, Darlin'" He replied gratefully. "I love you, too."

Jenna said goodbye lovingly and returned to statement-preparing with Chris. It ended up going about as well as could be expected, though she had to screen her calls more closely than usual. The hounds seemed to be satisfied, but they began to speculate various erroneous theories as to the progression of the romance.

Leonard, back in San Francisco, was asked about the picture by more than a few curious patients who'd seen the tabloid. He tried to take it in stride and have a sense of humor about it, but some nosy folks didn't know when to quit, including his ex-wife.

He knew Clay only called him because Jocelyn demanded to get the scoop on him without breaking the restraining order, but he tried to be as civil as he could.

"Listen, Treadway, You can tell Jocelyn that yes, I'm dating Jenna Kirk, yes, I'm in love with her, and no, I'm not interested in her because she's famous. She's very talented and gorgeous, yes, but there's a lot more to her than that."

"How in the world did you meet?" Clay asked sounding much put upon. Leonard could tell he hasn't wanted to make the call at all, but he could only imagine the threats and manipulation Joce has used on him.

"We ran into each other on vacation. She seemed to think I wasn't enjoying myself enough and forced me to socialize. Even an old grump like me couldn't help but go along with it, and we struck up a friendship that turned into this."

There was a few minutes' pause while Clay repeated what he'd heard to Jocelyn in the background and some arguing over the next question, but finally Clay heaved a sigh and warily asked the next question.

"Uh...sorry about this, but she thinks she needs to know if you've slept with her yet."

Leonard's jaw clenched at this and he had to resist the urge to hang up then and there or shout through the phone at Jocelyn in the background.

"That's none of her damn business, Treadway. You can tell her THAT. I think I've given ya'll more than enough already to satisfy that confounded nosiness. She's lost the right to ask such personal questions of me. Now if you'll excuse me, I have a life to live."

"I know. Sorry about this McCoy. You know how she can get." Clay sounded almost apologetic, as if even he knew Joce had gone way too far.

"I sure do. Bye, Clay." And Leonard hung up, both annoyed and slightly sympathetic. Clay was now reaping the rewards of breaking up a marriage by finding out just what everyday life with Jocelyn could be. Leonard felt rather aggravated with the whole way of Jocelyn getting around the restrictions, but shook off the irritation to start packing for his next trip to see Jenna.

"You know what, Bones?" she told him as she drove them to their favorite date night restaurant.

"What, gorgeous?"

"I've come up with a solution to our distance problem."

Leonard's hopes rose. He'd kicked ideas around many times, but nothing had seemed workable. If she could find a solution, well, maybe he could start thinking long term.

"I've decided that I'll get an apartment in San Fran. I'm not shooting any new projects until this fall, so I won't be tied to LA much. Plus, I haven't visited you nearly enough and San Fran really is a great place."

She certainly had the financial flexibility to do it and a job schedule that would allow it. Leonard knew he'd probably end up moving to LA permanently, but his situation was just too good right now to pull up roots yet.

"That's the best idea I've heard yet, Jen," he said, a smile growing at the thought of having her around more.

"I thought you'd like it," Jenna beamed, stepping out of the car. "I—Oh, crap! Look out, Bones! Paps across the street!"

Sure enough, there they were, cameras at the ready. So much for staff respecting their privacy. Someone had to have tipped off the vultures to their presence. Leonard would have been more upset, but with Jenna around being all beautiful and charming, he was somehow led to egg them on instead of shouting.

"Well, well, Well, darlin," he drawled, taking her hand and glancing at the photographers. "What a shame. But How about we give them something to REALLY talk about, instead?"

There was a diabolical gleam in his eye and Jenna picked up on it at once, blue eyes matching his mischief.

"You mean like making out in public? Because I'm totally down with that ."

"You mind reader," He whispered, pulling her to him and planting his lips on hers. Jenna was always up for kissing her Bones and enthusiastically returned it, giggling at the sounds she was able to elicit from him.

"Now, lets go to plan B," She panted after they'd come up for air, ignoring the clicking of cameras in the distance. "I know a great little place that doesn't take reservations, but respects people's privacy."

Leonard nodded, still trying to catch his breath.

"Just a sec. Damn it, Jenna, you sure know how to get my head spinning every which way. What have you done to me?"

"Given you a brighter outlook on life, I hope," Jenna said, hands still wrapped around his neck. She knew Chris would have a stroke when he saw the pictures, but she didn't care. She had Bones back and no silly paparazzi were going to ruin that.


End file.
